O’Neill: The new normal of smoke and fire makes me question my path

Casey O’Neill is a farmer and owner of Happy Day Farms in Laytonville, Calif. The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of The Mendocino Voice. If you’d like to write your own column for The Mendocino Voice, send your idea to info@mendovoice.com.

I was born and raised on this land, and even when I lived elsewhere I still thought of it as home. This is the only place I ever wanted to be, and I’ve poured my lifeforce energy into building a farm that can sustain us and provide food for our community. Lately I’ve known folks who have moved to other, greener places with less threat of fire, and that has made me think deeply about the place that is my home.